• The pick: Ducks in six. Anaheim should rebound from last season’s first-round upset loss to the Red Wings.

2) COLORADO AVALANCHE

52-22-8 (112 points), first in Central Division

VS. 7) MINNESOTA WILD

43-27-12 (98 points), fourth in Central Division

• Game 1: 9:30 p.m. Thursday

• Regular season: Avalanche, 4-0-1

• Big picture: The Avalanche finished 29th of 30 teams last season but got off to a red-hot start and maintained a mostly torrid pace. Colorado might have the Vezina (goalie Semyon Varlamov), Calder (rookie Nathan MacKinnon) and Jack Adams (coach Patrick Roy) winners. … The Wild used four goalies because of injury or illness. Ilya Bryzgalov might be the Game 1 starter.

• The pick: Avalanche in six. Varlamov can cover for a so-so Colorado blue line and the absence of top scorer Matt Duchene (knee).

3) ST. LOUIS BLUES

52-23-7 (111 points), second in Central Division

VS. 5) CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

46-21-15 (107 points), third in Central Division

• Game 1: 8 p.m. Thursday

• Regular season: Blues, 3-2

• Big picture: The Blues won a club-record 52 games but lost their final six, by far the worst finish of any NHL team. … Both teams were beset with injuries late in the season, but Chicago stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are expected to return for the first round. … The Blackhawks won the Cup last year. No team has won back-to-back Cups since Detroit in 1997 and 1998.

• The pick: Blackhawks in six. There are too many questions surrounding the Blues, who might have peaked too early.

4) SAN JOSE SHARKS

51-22-9 (111 points), second in Pacific Division

VS. 6) LOS ANGELES KINGS

46-28-8 (100 points), third in Pacific Division

• Game 1: 10:30 p.m. Thursday

• Regular season: Kings, 3-1-1

• Big picture: The Kings have plenty of skill up front, but it’s the blue line and back that is their bread and butter. Los Angeles allowed a league-low 2.05 goals per game. … San Jose, meanwhile, ranked fifth in scoring defense (2.35) and sixth in scoring offense (2.92). … Sharks left wing Joe Pavelski finished with 41 goals and 79 points, 13 more than in any previous season.

• The pick: Sharks in seven. This was a whopper of a seven-game first-round series last season. Expect the same.

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